Chair Chris Richardson called the meeting to order and welcomed those in
attendance.

Agenda Item: Review and Approval of June Council Meeting
Minutes

Chair Richardson moved that the minutes from the June meeting be approved;
there was a second, and the motion passed.

Agenda Item: Resident Comments

There were no resident comments.

Agenda Item: Proposed Washington Gas Project
Update

The Town Manager reported that she and Joe Toomey had recently met with
Washington Gas regarding an upcoming project they have scheduled for Section
5. The streets involved are Dalkeith, Thornapple, Thornapple Place, and
Underwood. The project is scheduled to start around November 1, and it should
be completed in three to four months depending on weather. The Section plans
to negotiate a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Washington Gas that will
allow the Section to receive reimbursement for the costs associated with the
project’s damage to the streets. WSSC is also scheduled to do work to replace
water mains in April 2018 that will further damage the streets. The Section
will seek to sign a similar MOU with WSSC. Once both projects have been
completed, the Section will use the reimbursement money to do a full mill and
pave of the effected streets.

Agenda Item: Section Infrastructure Report

Joe Toomey provided a preliminary infrastructure report that included an
analysis of the projected annual right-of-way maintenance costs. He measured
the Section’s roadway, curb, and sidewalk using the Google Maps distance
measuring feature. To calculate average annual maintenance cost, a life cycle
of 15 years for roadways, 20 years for curb, and 25 years for sidewalks, was
assumed. He advised on average 1/15th of the roadway must be replaced each
year, and 1/20th of the curb, and 1/25th of the sidewalk. Using the
above-mentioned information, he estimated the Section should plan to budget
$80,000 a year for roadway, curb, and sidewalk costs annually.

Agenda Item: Discussion of Code Revision Work

The Town Manager and Joe Toomey noted the Council has been working for over a
year on revisions to parts of our current Building Code. This language is
found in Chapter 9 of Section 5’s Code of Ordinances. The purpose of this
project was to clarify small inconsistencies in our current Building Code
language, make the activities requiring a Section 5 permit clear to residents
and contractors, and introduce straightforward and user-friendly supporting
documents to aid in making the building process easier.

Most of the proposed changes deal with clarifying regulations already in
place, but there are also a few new proposals dealing with stormwater and
drainage. The biggest change is the removal of the requirement that all
patios, driveways, and walkways be constructed out of permeable materials.
The Council concluded that there are additional and potentially more efficient
ways to achieve proper stormwater and drainage. The Section will be
circulating the proposed changes to all residents by postal mail. An official
ordinance will be introduced by the Council at the October 10 meeting.

Agenda Item: Records Retention Policy Update

The Town Manager indicated the Section is in the process of drafting a records
retention plan. This plan is required by the State of Maryland.

The Council introduced a resolution that would establish a set policy for
Section 5 in regards to Public Information Act requests. The policy and
resolution were drafted by town attorney, Ron Bolt. Chair Richardson formally
introduced the policy to the Council for a vote; there was a second, and the
resolution passed.

Agenda Item: Fire Board Vacancy

The Manager indicated that Section 5 currently has two vacant seats on the
Chevy Chase Fire Department Board. The Section will post the openings and ask
for volunteers for the seats in the September newsletter. Current Fire Board
member, John Higgins, gave a brief description of the time commitment and job.

Agenda Item: Monthly Financial Report

The Town Manager presented an overview of the Town’s current financial status,
and entertained questions from the Council.

Agenda Item: Manager’s Report

The Town Manager indicated Section 5 was recently notified by the Montgomery
Planning Department (MPD) of a proposed change in road classification for
Brookville Road. The County is recommending as part of its Master Plan of
Highways and Transitways that that road be upgraded to a Minor Arterial
classification. Brookville is currently classified as a Primary Residential
Street. The Section is in ongoing discussions with MPD and the other area
Chevy Chase municipalities regarding the practical effects of this proposed
change. MPD is holding a community outreach meeting on October 11. The Town
Manager will attend. The Section is closely monitoring the situation and will
provide updates to the Council and residents once more information is
available.

The Town Manager noted upcoming Section events include a bulk trash collection
scheduled for September 16, the fall block party on September 24, and the
first fall leaves collection on October 16. There will also be a wine tasting
on October 14. The event is privately hosted, but it is planned as a
neighborhood event and all Section 5 residents are invited to join.

The Town Manager said she is working with Lindsay and Associates on the annual
audit.

The Town Manager is scheduled to meet this week with David Anspacher. He is
the Project Manager for Montgomery County’s Bicycle Master Plan. The plan’s
preliminary recommendations propose the use of a portion of Woodbine for a
bikeway. (Note: This plan is different from the Interim Capital Crescent
Trail which was discussed at the June Council meeting. The ICCT also purports
to seek the use of Woodbine for a bikeway, although Section 5 has yet to
receive a proposal from the County.) The Town Manager stated that she
believes Woodbine is not a safe option for a bike route given the road’s
physical setup and the high volume of cut-through traffic throughout the day.
The Council concurred. The Town Manager will meet report back with more
information following the meeting with Mr. Anspacher.

Adjournment

Chair Richardson adjourned the meeting. The next meeting will be held
October 10, 2017, at 7:30 PM at the Village Hall, 5906 Connecticut Avenue.
The Village Hall has handicapped access. Everyone is welcome.